ITR Deadline Nears: Will It Be Extended?

• ITR filing deadline extended to Sept 15 for non-audit taxpayers due to glitches, delays.
• Ministry unlikely to extend deadline post Sept 15 penalties apply for late filing.
• Audited accounts ITR deadline Oct 31 audit report due Sept 30 no extension yet.

ITR Filing 2025 Due Date: With only 5 days left, demands to extend the due date of non-audit taxpayers for the income tax filing (ITR) for FY2024-25 (Assessment year 2025-26) have arisen in various groups,

including tax associations, CAs and tax experts, over technical glitches in the portal, delay in releasing Excel-utilities for ITR forms 2,3,5,6 and 7, data mismatches between AIS and Form 26AS, server crash and more.

The income tax department has extended the deadline for the ITR filing for FY2024-25 (Assessment Year 2025-26) for 45 days to September 15, 2025, from July 30, 2025. This new due date applies to individuals, Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs) and other taxpayers whose accounts don’t require auditing.

Of the 13.37 crore individual registered users, over 5 crore have filed their returns. Over 4.72 crore returns have been verified and over 3.39 crore returns have been processed by September 08.

Will The Finance Ministry Extend The Due Date Post September 15?

The Finance Ministry on September 07 released the reminder of the ITR filing deadline of September 15. The Ministry said that the extension of the due date for filing Income Tax Returns for FY 2024–25 (AY 2025–26) to 15 September 2025 provides additional time for taxpayers to complete their compliance obligations.

It appears that the ministry is unlikely to extend the due date for non-audit taxpayers after September 15.

The Ministry also said that taxpayers may face penalties for missing the ITR filing deadline.

“Filing an Income Tax Return (ITR) is an important compliance requirement under the Income Tax Act. It enables individuals and entities to declare their income, report taxes paid, and claim refunds where applicable. Timely filing helps avoid penalties, ensures the faster processing of refunds, and also serves as an official financial record for availing loans, obtaining visas, and fulfilling other financial requirements,” says the document.

Who Can File ITR By October 31, 2025?

Taxpayers whose accounts need to be audited—such as companies, proprietorships, and working partners in firms—have until October 31, 2025, to file their income tax returns (ITR) for the financial year 2024-25 (assessment year 2025-26).

Before they can do that, they must ensure their audit report is submitted by September 30, 2025. As of now, the Income Tax Department has not announced any extension to this deadline.

Avinash Polepally, Business Head at ClearTax argued with about half of the total filers having already completed their filings, it’s evident that an extension is not likely to occur.

What Happens If You Miss The Deadline?

Taxpayers then need to pay interest at a rate of 1 per cent per month or part month on the unpaid tax amount.

Late Filing Penalty

Rs 1,000: If total income is below Rs 5 lakh.

Rs 5,000: If total income is above Rs 5 lakh and return is filed after the due date but before 31st December.